


Demon Lover

by junko



Series: the distance between us [23]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-25
Updated: 2012-06-25
Packaged: 2017-11-08 12:19:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/443128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Byakuya is annoyed to discover Renji snuggled up to Zabimaru, but, little did he know, he's always shared his bed with Renji's zanpakto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demon Lover

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure where I'm going to go from here. This may be the ending for "the distance between us." I'll probably be unable to leave my obsession with these two for very long, but when I come back to writing them I may make up a new series title. If for no other reason than what comes after this will have to be interwoven between canon.

“Renji?”

Byakuya’s voice cut through a strange dream involving a giant skeletal snake’s head that was somehow Zabimaru, only not. Its screaming cry still echoed in his inner ear. “Mmmmm?”

“Did you intend to fall asleep with your zanpaktō?”

“Nah. Just happens sometimes,” he murmured, his eye opening just a crack. It was still very dark; it couldn’t possibly be time to leave already. So instead of removing himself or Zabimaru, Renji just nuzzled up closer to his zanpaktō. Renji was pretty sure that the hilt left an impression on the side of his face already.

Byakuya, however, seemed disturbed by this for some reason. Renji could feel him shift in the bed to peer down disapprovingly. “Renji, we’re meant to master our zanpaktō.”

“And?”

“ _And_ I don’t see how you can do that cuddled up with it like a teddy bear.”

Renji yawned. “Nope, I don’t imagine you could.”

When Byakuya had no immediate response, Renji let his eyes close. He could feel Byakuya’s agitation at his back, but he pretended to sleep. The silk sheets were warm and smooth and Zabimaru rumbled softly, almost like a purr. It didn’t surprise Renji that the captain couldn’t understand his relationship with his zanpaktō. What did he have to talk to? A thousand singing voices were really kind of cool, but what _was_ that? Renji figured Byakuya must have seen Senbonzakura’s externalization at some point, so maybe there was something more there; something concrete and less abstract, though knowing Byakuya it was hard to be sure. The man was as baffling and mysterious as the reflection of his soul.

Just when Renji had almost fallen asleep for real, Byakuya said sternly, “I do not want a demon in my bed.”

“Wha..? Oh, is it time already? Fine, I’m up.” Renji stretched out, popping his back, and started the torturous process of sitting upright.

“You may stay,” Byakuya said.

“Huh?” Renji had managed to get his feet over the side of the bed. He paused and rubbed his face. It was far too early in the morning for him to adequately track Byakuya’s shifting moods. “I thought you just said I had to go.”

“I was talking about your zanpaktō.”

Renji rubbed his eyes and blinked down at the sword in his lap. Then, he glanced over his shoulder to where Byakuya had lain down on his side, his back facing Renji. What was this all of a sudden? Twenty minutes--or however long--ago now, he was Byakuya’s ‘demon lover,’ now Zabimaru was getting kicked out? What the hell went through that man’s head from minute to minute? “You know he’s already slept with us, right? Twice,” Renji suddenly remembered, “Because one time you brought him to me.”

Byakuya said nothing.

Renji twisted around to poke Byakuya’s back sharply. “Oi, I’m talking to you.”

Byakuya didn’t turn around. “Either sleep here without it or go.”

“Not until you tell me why you’re all wigged out all of a sudden.” When Byakuya didn’t say anything right away, Renji gave him another poke. Then another. “I’m just going to sit here and bug you until you tell me. And, if I have to, I’m going to start saying your name all personal and friendly-like. In fact, if you don’t talk soon, I might even add a cute little pet name.”

It didn’t surprise Renji in the least that it was the last bit that caused Byakuya to turn around finally. “Very well. You’re too close to it. It disturbs me.”

Renji grunted, as a frown drew his eyebrows together. “ _Too_ close? What the fuck? Is that even possible? Did you go to a different Academy than me? We had entire lectures about the importance of meditating with your zanpaktō.”

“Yes, Renji, mediating. Not… sprawling all over it.”

“Huh.” Yeah, okay, he might see the captain’s point there. He probably did look kind of weird, a bit perverted, even, considering he was completely naked. But, if Byakuya meant to say, ‘put your sword away properly, you’re grossing me out,’ why had he added that he didn’t want a _demon_ in his bed?

 _You want to go or stay?_ Renji silently asked Zabimaru. _I mean, I’m pretty sure you’ve been insulted, though I don’t know why._

 _We scare him_ , a deep voice grumbled.

 _Our kind are bringers of misfortune_ , the other hissed. _He may fear a curse_.

Renji grunted a little, dark laugh. _Or he knows you’ll kick his ass some day_.

 _There is that_.

 _For him, there is no greater calamity_ , agreed the other. _Brought down by someone like us? A disaster!_

Renji smiled lightly as he scrubbed the hair from his face. He pulled himself to his feet. He patted Byakuya’s shoulder softly to let him know it was all right. “Right, see you in the morning.”

Renji had finished gathering up his clothes when Byakuya asked, “Which of you decided to leave, then?”

Renji stood up with his clothes and Zabimaru clutched in his hands. He looked down at where Byakuya had propped himself up. He was grateful to see the captain actually looking at him, watching him. He said, “I have no idea why it matters so much to you, but it was me. Look, it seems pretty clear that if you’re suddenly feeling weird about Zabimaru, then you’re feeling weird about me. So it’s time to go. But, I’ve got to say, if having a nue in your bed freaks you out, you should never have asked me here in the first place.”

“I want the man,” Byakuya said, dropping his gaze and saying softly. “You’re human, Renji.”

He shrugged, “I guess, this time around--on the outside, anyway.” Shifting his clothes, he ran a hand over his shoulders and biceps, and said, “Though I tried to change that.”

“Arms and legs of a tiger,” Byakuya said, his eyes jumping up and widening, as if it suddenly occurred to him.

Renji nodded. “Yeah, right, and fate gave me the body of a tanuki when I was reborn in Inuzuri.” Renji let out a little self-deprecating laugh, “And, anyone will tell you I have the brains of a monkey. Couldn’t exactly give myself a snake’s tail, but, wouldn’t you know, Academy handed me one at graduation.”

Byakuya was still looking at him. Renji found he couldn’t read the expression, though it seemed to him that his captain needed time to think this through.

“Yeah, so you see the problem,” Renji said, stifling another yawn. “I’ll catch you in the morning.”

 

#

Renji made it back to his quarters without anyone spotting him, which was good because he didn’t feel like bothering to get into clothes. He just held the bundle of his uniform in front of the important bits and made a dash for it.

What a strange night. He’d gone to the captain’s quarters to seduce Byakuya, and had ended up giving away too much of himself, instead, as usual. Then, something twigged in Byakuya’s brain and he finally realized that the line between Renji and Zabimaru was virtually nonexistent. Renji wasn’t exactly sure what the captain had been thinking all these weeks if that surprised him so damn much, especially considering that he’d made the connection enough to call him a demon more than once.

_Too close._

_‘It bothers me.’_

Renji supposed he was little bit unusual. It wasn’t like Byakuya painted his skin or dyed his hair pink in order to look more like a cherry blossom. You weren’t supposed to become your zanpaktō; you were supposed to own it, subdue it, possess it… conquer it.

_Oops._

Renji elbowed open the door to his quarters only to discover it stank. The dress uniform never recovered from being soaked and then left in a pile on the floor, even though he’d finally spread it over his chest of drawers. He was going to have to take it to get it professionally cleaned. It was rank and stinking up the whole place. After propping Zabimaru up by the bed, he piled his clothes at the foot of his cot.

He’d deal with everything tomorrow. Just before he collapsed back, he grabbed Zabimaru. _Fuck it_ , he thought. _I don’t care how creepy it looks to him,_ _I’m sleeping with you._

Zabimaru’s only reply was a little happy noise.

 

#

Renji had bathed, dropped the dress uniform off at the cleaners, and was back at the barracks before the mess was even open for breakfast. He stood outside with some of the other early risers, leaning against the wall. His head was still filled with snippets of images from his dreams last night: a skeletal snake’s jaw, coils of bones, and the wild cry of a baboon.

His hand strayed to Zabimaru. Something was changing. It had been like this right before Zabimaru had revealed his shikai form. Renji always slept deeply and felt refreshed, but crazy, vivid dream images would haunt him all day.

Could they be ready for bankai already?

It seemed too soon, and, more than that, the timing worried Renji. Zabimaru was pure instinct. If he was gearing up for bankai, that could only mean one thing:

_They’d need it._

When he saw Byakuya coming his way with urgent steps, Renji’s stomach dropped. He abandoned all thoughts of breakfast and strode out to meet him. “What’s happened?”

“We have a mission direct from Central 46. We’re going to the human world to retrieve Rukia, dead or alive.”

_Holy shit._

**Author's Note:**

> I often get the feeling watching Anime (any Anime) that I'm missing something critical, something that would be blatantly obvious to me if only I spoke the language or shared the cultural background or mythology. My slow, dawning realization about Zabimaru is one of those moments writ large. I suspect most Japanese viewers instantly recognized Zabimaru's externalization as a nue/nue demon. I had no idea. 
> 
> Thank goodness for SOULS, the Bleach character guide, and Wikipedia. The first for naming it and the second for explaining it. Wikipedia says that a nue is a chimera made up of FOUR animals. I got two, they're visually obvious: the baboon head and snake tail. I didn't realize that a traditional nue also has the arms and legs of a tiger and the body of a dog--the only wild dog native to Japan, the tanuki. (Weirder to me? That I wrote "Temple of the Wild Dog" without knowing any other connection to Renji than Inuzuri/The Hang Dog District.)
> 
> All the dog jokes about Inuzuri must really hit home for Renji. He *is* part dog. 
> 
> Also, how much must it suck to have a zanpakto whose externalization is a demon that brings misfortune? Kind of explains why it is Renji always has to lose something really important before he can "level up." 
> 
> It's like a zillion lightbulbs lit up, and, yet, I feel so stupid.
> 
> The story continues under a new series name: "Curse of the Nue" which starts, here: <http://archiveofourown.org/works/447624>


End file.
